Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Turns white spring lace in fall, long after the flowers are gone; white spring lace flowers and 10–20 ft wide.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
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- Fall color
Pennsylvania · Zones 5–7
Native Plants for Fall Color in Pennsylvania
Native trees, shrubs, and grasses that set the autumn garden alight with red, orange, copper, and gold. Every species here is genuinely native to Pennsylvania and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 5–7 — proven performers for Pennsylvania's humid continental climate across Appalachian ridge-and-valley & Piedmont, not a generic list. Local standouts include Serviceberry and Arrowwood Viburnum. The natives behind New England's famous foliage will do the same work in your yard, and the show lasts far longer than the flowers did. Sugars trapped in the leaves on cool, sunny fall days drive the brightest color, so plant these in full sun for the most intense display. Pair fiery shrubs with the copper and amber of warm-season grasses for a season finale that rivals any flower bed.
The plants
15 native species for Pennsylvania
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Turns creamy white in fall, long after the flowers are gone; reaching 6–10 ft and happy in clay and loam soil.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Fall color that lasts — rose-magenta, reaching 20–30 ft and good through zone 9.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Turns white bracts in fall, long after the flowers are gone; happy in loam soil and white bracts flowers.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Turns white cones in fall, long after the flowers are gone; for loam ground and 4–8 ft wide.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Turns cotton-candy pink in fall, long after the flowers are gone; happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil and spreading 2–3 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Fall color that lasts — white to pink, 5–10 ft wide and white to pink flowers.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Fall color that lasts — inconspicuous green, spreading 10–20 ft and hardy in zones 3–9.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Sets the autumn garden alight — chartreuse-gold — 6–12 ft wide and 6–12 ft tall.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Lights up in autumn, yellow catkins, for a long late-season show, reaching 2–6 ft and spreading 5–10 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Turns bronze-gold plumes in fall, long after the flowers are gone; 2–3 ft wide and 4–7 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Fall color that lasts — bronze-purple seed heads, cold-hardy to zone 3 and reaching 4–7 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry to wet
- 4–7 ft
- Fall color
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Sets the autumn garden alight — fine emerald to amber — happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil and spreading 2–3 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Turns airy pink-gold panicles in fall, long after the flowers are gone; reaching 3–6 ft and happy in sand, clay, and loam soil.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 3–6 ft
- Fall color
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Turns blue-green to copper in fall, long after the flowers are gone; good through zone 9 and 1.5–2 ft wide.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Pennsylvania
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.